Oskars Kantors, 29, of Old School Close, Leiston, found guilty of the murder of Agris Leigavnieks

A 29-year-old man has been convicted of murder following a fatal stabbing and assault fuelled by jealousy of his girlfriend’s relationships.

Oskars Kantors, of Old School Close in Leiston, near Southwold, was found guilty today at Ipswich Crown Court of the fatal stabbing of 41-year-old Agris Leigavnieks, who lived in the same road.

The incident was at 8.50pm on Monday, October 17 2022, with the victim taken to Ipswich Hospital in a critical condition where he later died.

Kantors was quickly identified as the suspect and charged with murder three days later, on October 20.

He was also charged with two counts of assault causing actual bodily harm against two other victims, which he had previously admitted.

The court heard that the murder and assaults had a common motive – Kantors’ jealousy over past and current relationships he believed people to have had with his girlfriend.

He suspected that the victim, who was found by housemates barely breathing after the stabbing, was having an affair with his girlfriend.

Kantors returned home after the fatal stabbing and, following an argument with his girlfriend, left to a neighbour’s house, whom he informed that he had stabbed the victim.

The neighbour asked Kantors to leave after the revelation, which he reacted badly to.

After leaving the neighbour’s property, Kantors told another person he had beaten up the first assault victim earlier in the day, as well as his suspicion that his girlfriend was having an affair with Leigavnieks.

The assaults were before the fatal stabbing, including one at the home of Kantors’ ex-girlfriend.

The first of these took place at 5pm in a flat off of High Street where Kantors attacked a 50-year-old man, punching him in the face several times.

The victim had to go to hospital for treatment as a result of the battering.

The second assault was at 8.20pm at an address in Old School Close, where Kantors grabbed a woman, who was known to him, by her hair and threw her to the ground.

The victim suffered a knee injury.

Kantors remained in Old School Close following the police’s arrival and was arrested after officers spoke to witnesses.

During the trial it was heard he drank alcohol throughout the day and admitted to wanting to put Leigavnieks ‘in hospital’, but did not intend to kill him.

It was also said Kantors was an alcoholic, claiming diminished responsibility as a result, something his counsel expanded on.

The jury rejected the defence and found him guilty by unanimous verdict.

Kantors has been remanded in custody and will be sentenced at Ipswich Crown Court on Friday (November 17).